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Constantin Mecetti
Constantin Mecetti was an Imperial Navy officer and aristocrat who led a secessionist movement in Segmentum Ultima during the Nova Terra Interregnum. Originally the Lord High Admiral of the Segmentum, Mecetti commanded a vast fleet and took advantage of the instability in the western side of the Galaxy to gain power. He represented the local Imperial high nobility in Segmentum Ultima that sought direct control over the region and believed they deserved independence from Terra. As the scion of the most influential noble house and commander of a large force Mecetti became the leader of this movement. In 998.M34, shortly after the beginning of the Interregnum, the high aristocrats under Mecetti created the Voldrad Alliance and proclaimed their independence. The Lord High Admiral Mecetti became the leader of the Alliance and convinced large portions of Imperial military units in Segmentum Ultima to join them. The nobles essentially led their troops as private forces and exerted a great amount of control over them, so many were willing to join the mutiny. He consolidated his domain while the Imperium was embroiled in conflict with the Ur-Council of Nova Terra and in 008.M35 was able to defeat a hastily-assembled Imperial crusade force with a scorched earth strategy. Mecetti himself was not a particularly wise commander but had many skilled tacticians and advisers, allowing him to hold the upper hand. By the time of his death the Voldrad Alliance controlled large swaths of territory in Segmentum Ultima, although its Allied Forces were spread thinly fighting off the Orks and various other threats. These, combined with infighting among the lords of the Alliance, caused the movement he founded to become weaker and lose sectors. His league would last some three centuries before being finally overwhelmed by a large expeditionary fleet from the Imperium. History Rise to prominence Born on the Paradise World of Voldrad, the site of the main estate and holdings of the powerful House Mecetti, the young Constantin spent his time engaging in court politics and had little interest in the minutiae of military affairs. However, his father, the Duke Mecetti, believed that as the future head of one of the most influential noble houses in the Ultima Segmentum he had to learn the art of war. As an aristocrat, the younger Mecetti ended up attending the prestigious Imperial College of Fleet Strategy on Terra. His instructors noted that he was arrogant and scheming, also having a way with words, but otherwise not outstanding or interesting. Mecetti was an average cadet in terms of martial talent but his aristocratic status guaranteed him a commission as a staff officer at the Ultima Segmentum Command on Kar Duniash, the regional fortress world. There the newly-minted ensign got a desk job at one of the many offices of the Lord High Admiral in charge of Battlefleet Ultima. It was common for members of the aristocracy to serve in the plush offices on Kar Duniash without actually seeing any combat against the myriad of threats the plagued the vast Segmentum. His tasks were mostly simple bureaucratic paperwork and the young high noble was mostly passing the time before he could leave the service. However, as a flag lieutenant, Mecetti got the chance to observe Command's operations staff planning out the pacification of a sub-sector that had fallen to an Ork faction. This event was the first time Mecetti took any real interest in military matters and had begun to change his mind, perhaps seeing a chance for glory or prestige from battle that could enhance his position in the eyes of the other nobles. Historically the nobility of the far-flung Segmentum Ultima exerted great control over their domains, remaining virtually autonomous from the government on Terra. This arrangement was tacitly accepted as the great distances made it difficult for the Administratum to reign in the nobles' power, and the officials on Terra believed that if the aristocracy had a personal stake in the territory then they would fight harder to defend it than if it was only for the Imperium. Mecetti inherited his father's title and territories upon his death and also the private forces that were loyal to their house. His military rank also rose to a similar degree and he became a Rear Admiral. The nobleman applied for and received postings on combat vessels and saw action on multiple occasions, surprising many of his aristocratic colleagues, to actually get some experience in battles. He eventually rose to be a Solar Admiral and commanded a task force in cleansing several systems from pirates, successfully completing the operation, before being made the Lord Admiral of the Kar Duniash sector. Mecetti became popular among both the nobles and the commoners for his successes in the Imperial Navy, although these were largely due to his competent subordinates and not entirely because of the admiral's own skills. Nonetheless, all of it served to increase his already large ego and he came to view himself as a great warrior. It was not long before Mecetti became the next Lord High Admiral of the Ultima Segmentum. Power struggle In the years leading up to the turn of the millennium, the Imperial Duke had overseen several successful campaigns against various foes in the Segmentum. His subordinates had done most of the actual fighting but the man's managerial skills were also quite capable. However, an incident occurred in the eighth year of the 35th Millennium that changed the situation drastically. First, Lord High Admiral Hohenheim, the commander-in-chief of the Imperium's space armada, died. It was well known that the commander of Segmentum Solar typically received the office, but Mecetti believed his experience warranted him to be the deceased admiral's successor. When it became clear that the noble would not be the next Lord High Admiral of the Navy, this caused outrage not only from him but among his powerful allies in the nobility, who viewed it as an affront to their perceived authority. Centuries of self-governance had given them strange ideas about their own importance and right to hold power. As this was happening, on the other side of the Imperium a crisis broke out as the Ur-Council of Nova Terra claimed control over the Segmentum Pacificus and ignored the High Lords of Terra. Seeing this as an opportunity, Mecetti decided to take advantage of the situation, pressured to act by the other highborn aristocrats. The recent slight regarding the position of navy commander and the centuries of governing de facto independently from the Imperial government led to calls for open rebellion, to secede from the Imperium. The fact that the military forces in the Segmentum had been under close control of the nobles meant that many would be willing to side with Mecetti in such a conflict. He and his close supporters called a meeting on Voldrad, where some 3700 aristocrats gathered and signed a declaration of the Segmentum's independence from the Imperium, becoming known as the Voldrad Alliance. Naturally, when this was formally announced, there was outcry and resistance from Imperial loyalists. But before that happened precautions were already put in place to ease the transition. Officers who were suspected of remaining loyal to Holy Terra were placed under house arrest, units that were not trusted were confined to their barracks, and offices of government institutions like the Inquisition, Ecclesiarchy, and Administratum were shut down by force. Similar actions occurred throughout the Segmentum in the sectors where the nobles held sway. It was estimated by the Logis Strategos that at least half of the region's sectors came under the control of the Voldrad Alliance in the course of a week. Still, there was some armed resistance by isolated pockets, though these were kept besieged by the Voldrad Allied Forces. The High Lords of Terra, stunned by the events, were unable to react right away due to the conflict with the Ur-Council. Mecetti Heresy Category:Imperial Characters Category:Imperial Navy Characters Category:Imperial Navy Category:Rebels